I have a fast and fabulous recipe to share with you because -PEOPLE- this is going to be the biggest grilling weekend of the whole year. I’m talking about Carne Asada {Grilled Beef for Salads, Tacos, and Burritos}. This is one of the classic meats (literally and figuratively) of Mexican street tacos.

Flavourful, slightly charred on the outside, and cooked to your desired doneness on the interior, Carne Asada is a giant in the wonderful world of food.

Mercifully, the citrus, garlic, smoky, tender perfection that is Carne Asada {Grilled Beef for Salads, Tacos, and Burritos} is almost embarrassingly easy to make at home. It’s a simple as tossing a few common ingredients into a zipper top bag with some flank steak in it, leaving it in the refrigerator to soak up and drink in all those lovely flavours, then grilling briefly over high heat on a gas or charcoal grill.

Seriously. That’s all there is to it. Honestly, folks… if it got any simpler, it’d be take out.

As if the taste of Carne Asada wasn’t enough to recommend it, there’s the versatility to keep in mind, too. You can slice it thinly and serve as is, in tacos or burritos, or on salads or burrito bowls. This is grilling superstar territory here.

Fire up your grill for Independence Day and fire up your tastebuds with Carne Asada {Grilled Beef for Salads, Tacos, and Burritos}. Scroll below the recipe for some great side dishes to serve with Carne Asada!

Carne Asada

Fresh orange juice is a really important component to the final flavour of the recipe. If, however, you can’t lay your hands on some decent fresh oranges, use about 2/3 of a cup of not-from-concentrate, good quality juice (like Simply Orange) as a substitute.

I’m going to sound like a broken record, but fresh garlic is best for this recipe. If you can’t find fresh garlic, use the equivalent of 4 cloves of jarred, chopped garlic OR use 2 teaspoons granulated garlic.

The amount of marinade in this recipe is enough to accommodate up to 4 pounds of flank steak. Just be sure to cut the steaks down into two pieces each before sliding into the marinade.

You want to let the flank steak rest in the marinade (reaching into the fridge and flipping the bag over every couple hours) for at least 4 hours, but no longer than 8 hours. After 8 hours, the acid in the citrus begins breaking down the fibers of the meat, yielding a mushier end result. Mushy Carne Asada is sadness, friends. Deep sadness.

DO let your meat rest before slicing it. Let it rest at least 10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute before slicing it. In other words, it keeps the finished Carne Asada juicy vs. jerky.

To store leftovers, let the Carne Asada cool, uncovered, in the refrigerator. When it has cooled to slightly cooler than body temperature, transfer to a zipper top bag (pour any accumulated juices from the plate into the bag with the steak.)

Squeeze as much air out as possible and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. If you need to store it longer than that, freeze for up to 3 months.

If Main Dish Salads are your thing, we also have Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef Salad), Cheeseburger Salad, Greek Salad, Pizza Salad, Spicy Southwestern Chicken Salad + Meal Prep, and Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad.

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Use these to make your Carne Asada

• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting Board
• Gallon sized zipper top bags

Carne Asada {Grilled Beef for Salads, Tacos, and Burritos}

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Rebecca Lindamood

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Marinate flank steak in this bold, flavourful marinade for at least 4 hours then grill up in mere minutes. The flank steak’s exterior takes on a lovely char whichever temperature you prefer in the middle. Slice the beef thinly for salads, chop into bite sized pieces for tacos, or serve as you prefer in burritos or on burrito bowls.

Ingredients

  

For the Marinade:

• the juice of 2 oranges
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the Carne Asada:

• 1 full batch marinade
• 2 flank steaks Cut the flank steaks into halves 2 pounds each, You can substitute sirloin round steaks for a less authentic, but less costly and still delicious version., lengthwise.

Instructions

 

To Make the Marinade and Marinate the Beef:

• Combine the orange juice, cayenne and black peppers, salt, cumin, and garlic in a gallon sized zipper bag. Squish the contents to combine. Add the oil to the bag. Seal the bag and shake well before opening and adding the beef. When sealing the bag with the beef in it, try to squeeze as much air out as possible. Let the beef marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours but up to 8. It is not advisable to marinate longer than that as the meat fibers may begin to break down and become mushy.

To Grill the Carne Asada:

• Preheat a grill to very hot (using hot coals if employing a charcoal grill.) Grill the beef over very high heat or hot coals for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. I prefer my beef a nice medium rare, so I go for about 4 minutes per side. Use tongs to transfer the meat to a rimmed plate and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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This post was originally published July 2, 2015. Republished with improved Cook’s Notes and links, July 2017.

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